Welcome to Sail-World.com's New Zealand newsletter for 4 February 2011

Sail Auckland got underway off Takapuna Beach with around 150 entries enjoying the first day's racing in a moderate offshore breeze.

In this edition we feature the first report from the regatta. Suffice to say that the performance of many New Zealand sailors are being watched with interest in this regatta. And today it was time for the stars to shine - which most did - but more through consistency on a difficult day, rather then brillance.

We have been heavily featuring the AC45 since her launch, and she continues to dominate our story ratings.

This week the focus of her program has shifted more towards her Youth program and several of Auckland's top youth sailors have been out for their first high performance multihull sailing experience this week.

Top New Zealand video cameraman, and editor, George Johns has been on assignment with the AC45 since her launch and has been the one behind the daily clips on YouTube.com posted under America's Cup and also Oracle Racing.

In this edition we have compiled some of the video into one story - so if you have missed any catch up here.

As you may have gathered there are several round the world races on at present - the Velux 5 Oceans - which restarts from Wellington this weekend, Barcelona World Race, a Jules Verne Trophy attempt and a world solo record circumnavigation attempt.

We've tried to keep up with these four events as best we can at Sail-World - it is not easy - hopefully we will have full traction in the next few days.

"Can you see what I can see?" AC45 paces an Australian 470 competitor on the opening day of Sail Auckland Gilles Martin-Raget/www.americascup.com

Thanks to our contributors for their help and input, we're here to help sailing, and help those who wish to help themselves. A special thanks to those who have contributed to this edition.
Good sailing!

Sail Auckland: Stars to the fore on opening day Jodie Bakewell-White, Yachting NZ, Sail Auckland 2011 got underway today with nine fleets racing on three courses scattered up the Hauraki Gulf north of Takapuna Beach in a westerly offshore breeze which was light and shifty at times but provided good racing across all classes.... [more]Share this story

America's Cup: Optimist World Champion helms AC45 + Video America's Cup Media, We may have seen a glimpse into the future of sailing today on board the AC 45. Chris Steele, 18, of Auckland is a Laser and Moth sailor (and a former Optimist World Champion) with his eye on the America's Cup. And today he got his first taste of it. Steele was welcomed on board the AC 45 today and before he knew it, four-time Cup winner Russell Coutts offered the young sailor the helm.... [more]Share this story

Hardy Cup 2011 - Young talent lining up at RSYS Peter Campbell, Hardy Cup 2011 - Many of the most talented young match racing sailors from Australia and New Zealand will line up next week for the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron's prestigious Hardy Cup, the ISAF Grade 3, under 25 match racing regatta on Sydney Harbour.... [more]Share this story

2011 Downunder Pro - Formula Windsurfing Championships Sean O'Brien, The Downunder Pro - Formula Windsurfing Oceanic & Australian Championships kicked off today with long wait periods and lights winds, testing the 49 competitors from Australia and around the globe.... [more]Share this story

America's Cup: The AC45 Video Show George Johns, Over the past couple of weeks the AC45 has been turning head in Auckland, New Zealand. She has also been the subject of many hours of video photography, by one of the worlds best video cameramen, and editor, George Johns. Here we present a gallery of the video - just in case you missed something..... [more]Share this story

Virbac-Paprec Sailing Team made a narrow band before the storm Anne-Charlotte Meyer, Virbac-Paprec Sailing Team passed the Barcelona World Race Crozet ice gate before the storm forecast! The duo is relatively relieved, since they did not get to close grips with it, i.e. head wind and waves; which would have been a very difficult and demanding situation for Virbac-Paprec 3. However, they will be sailing in strong weather downwind for 12 hours.... [more]Share this story

RC44 Championship Tour heads west across America Jessica Gray, RC44 Championship Tour 2011 guarantees high-octane racing as some of the biggest names in both international sailing and global business join forces for the opening round in San Diego, California from 2 - 6 March.... [more]Share this story

Yachting NZ:Yachting Digest for January - February 2011 Yachting NZ, Yachting Digest is produced bi-monthly by Yachting New Zealand's Keelboat and Offshore Race Committee (KORC) to keep boat owners informed about issues related to racing and cruising, including safety, boat registration and handicapping. It contains new of interest to keeler, multihull and trailerboat owners... [more]Share this story

America's Cup: Images from On-Board and Sail Auckland Gilles Martin-Raget, Top international photographer, Gilles Martin-Raget, has been on the Waitemata Harbour and Hauraki Gulf again, shooting the prototype AC45 ahead of her handover to America's Cup Regatta Management next week, and the training by entered teams shortly thereafter.... [more]Share this story

Kiteboards at the Olympics: If there is no wind, there is no wind... Markus Schwendtner, It should have become a demonstration of what kiteboarding has to offer to Sailing in the Olympic Games - but if there is no wind, there is no wind...Some of the fastest kite racers in the world came to Miami to participate in the kiteboarding demonstration for the Olympic Racing Classes Regatta on the final weekend of the Regatta.... [more]Share this story

Velux 5 Oceans - Blast from the past for Sir Robin Knox-Johnston Velux 5 Oceans, Velux 5 Oceans - Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first person ever to sail solo around the world non-stop, was today united with the son of a New Zealand fisherman who he met on his historic singlehanded circumnavigation.... [more]Share this story

Warren Jones International Youth Regatta - Gilmour on top John Roberson, Australian skipper David Gilmour has reclaimed sole ownership of the top rung of the ladder at the end of the third day of the Warren Jones International Youth Regatta, putting in a good performance to win five of the six matches he sailed... [more]Share this story

Barcelona World Race - Back to business? Barcelona World Race, The best news this morning is that the centre of the tropical depression which is whistling south south east, and contains N'ly and NW'ly winds in excess of more than 55kts and seas of 6-8 metres, is passing through the gap between the leaders Virbac Paprec 3 to the east and Mapre to the west of it.... [more]Share this story

America's Cup: Evacuating from Valencia + Video Oracle Racing, A chapter of America's Cup history closed, and a new one opened, with the departure of the then BMW Oracle Racing team from Valencia, Spain - headed for San Francisco, USA. Taking advantage of a fortuitous break in the weather, Scott Sandford and a team from Oracle Racing were able to finish the loading of USA 17, the America's Cup-winning trimaran, and its massive wingsail aboard the freighter M.... [more]Share this story

America's Cup: AC45 clocks a new speed record on the Waitemeta - Video George Johns, The AC45 set a new speed record of 29.9kts on Auckland's Anniversary Day as she ripped around the Waitemata Harbour with the Oceanbridge Anniversary Regatta fleet. Here's another George Johns' video of the day and the occasion - including some high speed bow dips.... [more]Share this story

International Hobie Class Association Rules update posted David Brookes, The IHCA Rules Committee has posted the updated Class Rules.... [more]Share this story

Barcelona World Race - Beating the depression Barcelona World Race, The duel in the Indian Ocean between the ‘Red Cow Boys' – De Pavant and Audigane - on the VPLP Verdier designed Groupe Bel which is also known as ‘Cochise' (ed note as in Cow Cheese!), and Alex Pella and Pepe Ribes, who signs his communications as ‘Jack Sparrow' on the Red Pearl which is better known as the Farr designed Estrella Damm.... [more]Share this story

Barcelona World Race - Caffari and Corbella go against the flow Coralie Rassinoux, At just over four weeks into the Barcelona World Race, Dee Caffari and her co skipper Anna Corbella are not having an easy time of it. Due to the combination of a high pressure system and the presence of additional ice gates imposed for safety reasons, the duo have been forced north which has resulted in them battling upwind conditions to make any progress along the race course.... [more]Share this story

Warren Jones International Youth Regatta - Getting tight at the top John Roberson, David Gilmour is finding it crowded on the top rung of the ladder at the Warren Jones International Youth Regatta after the second day, with New Zealander Will Tiller and Sydneysider David Chapman joining him.... [more]Share this story

San Francisco set to host Windsurfing World and National Championships David Wells - waterhound.com, San Francisco is to host the Windsurfing World and National Championships this July on San Francisco Bay. The last World Championship level windsurfing event on The Bay was the 1993 IMCO worlds but that's set to change soon. The upcoming Techno worlds will be hosted by the prestigious St. Francis Yacht Club.... [more]Share this story

If you liked this newsletter, do nothing, we will send you another ..

Naa, please don't send me another.

Follow Sail-World on Twitter

Customised news feeds

Marine Industry companies, Clubs and Associations have asked can they received their own customised version of our Sail-World news feed. The answer is yes; customised in content, news category, for example or region of the world and appearance.

Change the frequency of newsletters, from once a week to a monthly newsletter. Change from html (graphics & pictures) newsletters to text only newsletter, (best for slow connections, mobile phones and PDA's etc. Change from Sail-World New Zealand Newsletters to Sail-World Cruising International Newsletters etc. Temporarily inactivate your subscription for a period, when you will be on holidays etc. or change to text for the same period. Or even (gasp) unsubscribe.Change your newsletter subscription profile here or take off list